Beginner Photog’s Best Friends: EV Compensation & A Tripod
Since I’ve started this journey of trying to master my DSLR camera, I’ve learned a great number of things about ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. I won’t bore you with reviewing those things since there are plenty of online tutorials on them, but one thing I wish someone told me about is Exposure Compensation. Basically, Exposure Compensation allows you to adjust an image’s exposure by changing the light meter. This metered light is measured by an Exposure Value (EV) that is a combination of those things I listed before – ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. So, instead of having to adjust each of those values individually, changing the EV (which ranges from -5 to +5 on my camera) can give you more or less light in the captured image, depending upon your goal. Take a look at the example below.
The photo in the middle is the picture straight from the camera using the automatic settings. The photo on the top used an EV of +2 , and the photo on the bottom used an EV of -2. This is extremely helpful when I’m not sure which individual setting to adjust in order to get a lighter or darker picture. I just hit the +/- button and adjust the dial to the left or right, depending on my end goal. Once I see the exact exposure I want on the screen, I just click away. Simple as that!
Another tip I have is to use a tripod whenever possible. Pictures come out so much clearer and richer whenever I do. I’ll admit, tripods can get pretty pricey, so I didn’t invest in an expensive one, just one I was sure would hold up to the weight of my camera and one with a quick-release mounting feature, so I don’t have to worry about screwing the camera into the base every time I want to use it. Genius!
The link below goes into a bit more detail of why using a tripod is so important, so please do check it out!
http://woodenspoonskitchen.